The Farm Crisis

Farmers from across America marched for the second year in a row to protest against the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on February 5, 1979. An old tractor is burned in effigy in protest.

USDA / National Archives and Records Administration

The farm crisis of the 1980s meant high interest rates; it’s estimated that farmland values dropped nearly 60 percent in some areas of the Midwest during the early '80s. But it was not just an economic disaster. A new documentary also tries to capture the personal stories. Guest host Ben Stanton talks with the producer of "The Farm Crisis" Laurel Bower Burgmaier. Later in the show is an update to the flood-related weather outlook for Iowa, and hear about NPR's programing changes now in effect and how they will affect Iowa Public Radio.